Syria's Assad urges pressure on backers of 'terror'

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad told a Russian delegation Sunday that "serious efforts" were needed to defeat "terrorists" and exert "real pressure" on their alleged backers, state media said.

Assad's statement comes days ahead of scheduled Moscow talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and a Syrian delegation on the possible relaunch of peace talks with the opposition.

"The defeat of terrorism... requires... applying real pressure on those implicated in financing, arming and facilitating the actions of the terrorists," Assad told the Russian parliamentary delegation, state news agency SANA reported.